Street crossing signal device for blind pedestrians



Feb. 8, i949. s 2,461,448

STREET CROSSING SIGNAL DEVICE FOR BLIND PEDESTRIANS- Filed April 2, 1947 INVENTOK i E-M. s ITH Patented Feb. 8, 1949 STREET CRQS'SING SIGNAL DEVICE FOR BLIND PEDES-TRIANS Everett Manley Smitli Leamington, Ontario, Canada Application April 2, 1947,, Serial 738 898- 9 Claims. (or. 177=s3t-l This invention relates to a device adapted to communicate signals by the sense; of touch.

Many blind persons become. quite eflicient at finding their way around busy city streets. They usually experience difiiculty, however, at; traffic intersections and especially at intersections having: signal lights. If the intersection is not a busy one, theblind person usually listensfor approaching traffic and if none isheard he can safely cross the street. If, on the other hand, traffic at an intersection is heavy and is controlled by traifio lights there areusually cars passing in one direction or the other at all hours and the blind person cannot rely on his sense of hearing to. difierentiate whichway the cars are running andtell him whether or not he can safely cross the street.

Up to theapresent timenoperson has devised an efficient signal means for transmitting signals given by trafific lights toblindpeople. I have invented a device which will fulfill this purpose.

It is; therefore,- an object of this invention to provide. a signal device for transmitting. signals bysense-of feel which can beused in connection with traffic lights and the like;

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device as stated above which is simple to install:

It is afurther object ofthe-invention to pro- .vide a signal device ofthe above general type which is simple to construct and cheap to manui-acturez- Withtheseand other objects in: view the device in general comprises acasing; which is designed to be mounted at a street cornerwithin thereach of a blind person; A means for trans mitti-ng: a-signal bysense of touch isprovided externally of. the casing and a means operatively connected to a traffic'lig-ht or the like. for operating the external. signal means to. predetermined positions corresponding; tothe-signalstransmitted bythe trafiic lights isprovidedinternaiiyof the casing whereby the signals givenby the traffic lights-can me-transmitted; to:a 'blindrperson?touchingthe casing. Theinvention willbe: fully understood after reference to the following detailed specification takendnconjunction with thedrav ings.

In the-drawings,-

Figural shows alamp post having, traffic signal lightswith a signal means of this invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 shows a form of: the invention partly broken away to show construction.

FigureS shows the operative portion: of an alternative form of the invention, broken away toshow construction. 7,

Fig'u're i is a broken away side View showing a preferred form of the invention.

Referring tothedrawings, A generally indicates a. signal device of this invention which is mountedon a lamp. it having traffic signal lights I l.. The signal device- A is mounted-within reach of a person approaching the lamp post and has means external of the casing ii for transmitting the signal given. by thetraffic lights ll by sense oi touch.

Referring to Figure 2, the form of the invention there showncomprises a casing ifia having an ex'ternalbuttonl4 designed to project through a hole 93 in the casing for the purposes of transmitting a signal. The projecting button l d is secured to or is part o an armature it. which is designed tooperate in the solenoid Hi. The solenoid 1.6 is held in a normal position with the-button it projecting frointhe casing by means of the spring. .ll which-is mounted on. the casing by a bolt l8. Numeral l9 indicates leads from the solenoid coil andare-designed to be connected across a voltage supply. When they ar e'so connected, the solenoid armature l5 isdrawn into the solenoid to depress the spring ii, andcause the projecting button portion i l thereof tolie substantially flush with the top 219 of the casing iZa. Thus, by feeling whether the button M is projecting; or is lying flush with the top of; the

casing, it is possible to tellwh-ether the leads l9 oi the solenoid it are connected across 21-: volt- In operation, the leads it are connected in parallel with: the voltage which operates the red or green signal light at a trafiic intersection so that the button it projects or is'flus-h with the top 2%? of the casing iita, depending on whether the trafiic lights are red or green; By mounting the casing iZrzwithin human reach, as shown in Figure. 1-; it isthen possible to provide a signal whichv samba-sensed by the touch, ior giving; the

trafiio warnings'w-hicharegiven bytrafilc? signal lights. Thus. itis; possible for a, blind man to cross lousy intersections "havingtraffic. lights, with outdanger of being funover when" crossing againsta red; light;

Figure 3 shows: another form ofthe invention. In this embodiment, the signal horr- 2-41' is shown broken away; Two signalbuttons 2'2 and=-2t are provided. They are rigidly mounted on'resiliently mounted plates 2 3- and .25 hy-rneanstof thesprings 26 disposed aroundthe holding bolts 21'. Holes extend through the plates 2.4 2-15 as --indicated by the dotted line 28 to permit the plates 24 and 25 to pass freely over them when acutated against the pressure of the springs 26. The buttons are actuated by an actuating member 29 pivotally mounted within the casing as at 30 and having angularly disposed arms 3| and 32. The member is normally spring held in the position shown by means of a spring 33 and is actuated from this position by the. action of the solenoid armature 34 which is caused to move when a volt age is applied across the leads 35 of the rigidly mounted solenoid 36.

The signal buttons 22 and 23 are designed such that one is flush with the casing while the other one projects therefrom, so that a blind man feeling for a signal can always obtain a positive indication and avoid the danger of feeling the top of the casing and assuming, that because he feels no indication, that the button is depressed and that the lights are green, when in fact, he may not be feeling the correct spot on the top of the casing, and the button may be projecting.

Figure 4 shows a preferred form of the invention in which two solenoids 3'! and 33 are employed. They are mounted within the frame 39 on a bracket 40 and are adapted to attract armatures ll and 42 respectively when actuated. Armatures 4i and 42 pivot in the bifurcated ends of the bracket arms 43 and 4% respectively. The bifurcations are not shown in the drawings. Buttons 35 and 46, shouldered as at iba, are hingedly mounted to the outer arms of armatures 4| and 42 respectively. These buttons are normally urged to project through the holes ll and 48 in the casing by means of springs 49 and 50. i

In operation, the leads of solenoid 31 are con nected across the green or "(l-o traiilc signal light and the leads of solenoid 38 are connected across the red or Stop traffic signal light. When the green trafic signal light operates, its solenoid will be actuated to attract its armature and cause the projecting portion of button 45 to lie substantially flush with the casing 39. As soon as the light goes out, the voltage across solenoid 3'2 will drop to zero and the spring 49 will urge button 55 to its normal projecting position. The red light will operate button 46 in a similar manner. In the event of a power failure, the button 45 will project from the casing 49 to transmit a stop signal and prevent a blind person from crossing the street.

This embodiment of the invention also includes a signal buzzer 5! which is connected through a transformer 52 across the leads of the orange or Warning light so that an audible signal is given as the tramc lights are about to change. This signal would be very useful in helping blind persons to locate the traffic signal box.

From the above it will be apparent that I have provided a signal device for warning a blind man of traffic signals by sense of touch so as to enable him to safely cross busy traffic intersections. It is further cheap to manufacture and easy to install. Anyone skilled in the art will be able to devise various modifications of my invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing specification should not be read in the limiting sense except for the limitations expressed'by the following claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A device for transmitting signals by sense of touch comprising a casing adapted to be mounted within human reach, signal means external of said casing adapted to be sensed by the 4 touch, means for urging said signal means to a predetermined normal position, means internal of said casing for actuating said signal means from said normal position to at least one other predetermined position, each of said predetermined positions of said signal means being related to a predetermined signal whereby said predetermined signals can be transmitted by touching said signal means.

2. A signal device as claimed in claim 1 in which said means internal of the case for actuating the signal means includes a solenoid electrically connected across a voltage which is related to the signals visibly given by said lights, an armature actuated by said solenoid, said armature being operatively connected to said external signal means whereby to operate it to said predetermined positions as the voltage across said lights varies.

3. A device for transmitting signals by sense of touch comprising a casing adapted to be mounted within human reach, signal means external of said casing adapted to be sensed by the touch, resilient means internal of the casing for urging said signal means to a predetermined normal position, electro-magnetic means within said casing for actuating signal means against the pressure of said resilient means from said normal position to at least one other predetermined position, each of said predetermined positions of said signal means being related to a predetermined signal whereby said predetermined signals can be transmitted by touching said signal means.

4. A device for transmitting signals by sense of touch comprising a casing adapted to be mounted within human reach, signal means external of the casing, adapted to be sensed by the touch, means within said casing including a solenoid and an armature therefore for actuating said signal means from a predetermined normal position to at least one other predetermined position, each of said predetermined positions of said signal means being related to a predetermined signal whereby said predetermined signals can be transmitted by touching said signal means.

5. A signal device comprising a case adapted to be mounted within human reach, signal means projecting from said case for transmitting signals by touch, means internal of said casing for opcrating said projecting signal means to predetermined positions, each of said positions being related to a predetermined signal whereby to communicate said signal to a person touching said signal means.

6. In a signal system, at least one electrically operated light adapted to transmit visual signals as they go on and off, and a device having a signal means mountable within human reach and adapted to be sensed by the touch operatively connected to said electrically operated lights whereby to transmit the signals visibly given by said lights by sense of touch.

7. In a signal system, at least one electrically operated light adapted to transmit visual signals as they go on and off, and a signal device having 7 a signal means mountable within human reach and adapted to transmit signals by sense of touch, said signal device comprising a casing, signal means projecting from said casing for transmitting signals by sense of touch, means within said casing for operating said signal means to predetermined positions including a solenoid and an armature said armature being operatively connected to said signal means, said solenoid being electrically connected across a voltage which is related the voltage operating said signal lights whereby to operate said signal means to prede termined positions said positions being related to the signals transmitted by the lights whereby to transmit the signals given by the lights by sense of touch.

8. A device for transmitting signals by sense of touch for use in connection with a light signal system having a Stop and Go light, comprising a casing adapted to be mounted within human reach, two buttons adapted to normally project from said casing, two solenoids mounted within said casing, one of said solenoids being adapted for connection; across the Stop" light, the other for connection across the Go" light, armatures in connection with each of said solenoids, each of said armatures being operatively connected to one of said buttons, whereby said buttons are actuated from their normal projecting position to a position substantially flush with the casing when their armatures are actuated, as their respective solenoids are energized by the voltages across said "Stop and (30 lights as they go on and off,

9. A device for transmitting signals by sense of touch for use in connection with an electrically operated light signal system having a Stop" light,

. Number a "Go" light and a Warning" light for indicating when the "Go light is about to change, com-=- prising a casing adapted to be mounted within human reach, at least one button adapted to pro ject f from said casing for transmitting signalsgiven by said lights by sense of touch, means internal of said casing including at least one solenoid in electrical connection with the voltage operating said Stop or Go lights for actuating saidbuttons to predetermined positions whereby said buttons can transmit by sense of touch the signals given by said "Stop" and Go lights, an electrically operated audible signal device operatively connected across said Warning light operates to attract persons to the signal box and warn them that the signals are about to change.

EVERETT MANLEY SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the filccf this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,234,249 Zabel July 24,1917 1,301,396 Dan Apr. 22, 1919 Kent Nov. 2, 1920 

